Signaling installation for the protection of roads at level crossings



March 31, 1931. P. BOUTHORS SIGNALING lNSTALLATION FOR THE PROTECTION OF ROADS AT LEVEL CROSSINE'S Filed April 5. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet l Fig .1.

INVENTOR PL el're Bani/101's ATTORNEYS March 31, 1931. P. BOUTHORS SIGNALING INSTALLATION FOR THE PROTECTION OF ROADS AT LEVEL CROSSINGS Filed April 5. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR B m M March 31, 1931. BQUTHORS 1,798,302

SIGNALING INSTALIJATION FOR THE PROTECTION OF ROADS AT LEVEL CROSSINGS Filed April 5. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 1 March 1931- P. BQUTHORS 1,798,302

SIGNALING INSTALLATION FOR THE PROTECTION OF ROADS AT LEVEL CROSSINGS Filed April 5, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Mar. 31, 1931 UNITED stares.

Parana" OFFICE PIERRE EoU'rHoRsoE AMIENS, FRANCE srenALIiie I'Ns'rALLArIoii FOR THE PROTECTION OF RoAns AT LEVEL CROSSINGS Application filed April 5, 1929, Serial No. 352,811, and in France April 25, 1928.

The present invention has for its object a signaling apparatus adapted to warn, in the 'icinity of a level crossing, the users of the roads of the approaching passage at this level crossin of a train running on the railway track.

The signaling installation is composed:

1. Of visual, luminous and sonorous signals, in any number, visible from the road.

2. Of three pedals, two on either side of the level crossing to be protected and at a suitable distance therefrom, and the third one at the level crossing.

3. Of a single funicular or wire transmission connecting the two extreme pedals.

4. Of a tripping device provided with centrifugal balls for the operation of the signals.

5. Of a device for raising the driving weights utilizing the slow relaxation ofa spring set by the passage of the train on the middle pedal.

As will be seen from the description given hereina ter, the installation is entirely me chanical, without compulsory intervention, either of a source of electric current or of a compressed gas cylinder, or of any other source of energy. 7

A form of construction of the invention is illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figs. 1 and 1a taken together represent a sectional elevation of a level crossing at which is arranged the signaling apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a section, made according to line B B of Fig. 3, of a particularly important part of the apparatus. 7 i

Fig. 3 is a section of the same part and is made according to line AA of Fig, 2. r

Fig. 4 an enlarged elevation of one of the car wheel release parts of the apparatus.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plane view of the arrangement shown in Fig. 4.

6 is a development of the ramp on the discshown in Figs. 4 and 5.

Fig. Z is an enlarged detail view of the arrangement of the operating gear :for a single arm to be used in connection with double tracks.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary section similar to Fig. 3 showing a modification of the invention.

The signals are constituted, in this example, by arms 1, 2 which can pivot about axes 3 placed at the top of posts at, 5 arranged on the road 6 to be protected, on either side of the railway track 7. These arms can occupy two positions: one vertical, indicating that there is nothing on the line, the other horizontal, indicating that a train running on the railway line 7 is about to pass the level crossing. Lights 8, 9 placed in these posts are uncovered when the arms are horizontal.

Transmission wires 10 are wound about the axes 3 of both arms 1, 2, being jointly connected atone end to a pulley 11, Fig. 2, and separately connected at their opposite end to weights 12 and 13.

A single rope transmission let is normally held near both its ends by two locking members 15 associated with pedals 16 and 17, passes on a; system of pulleys 18, 19, 20 and carries counterweignts 21 21 The axis of the pulley 20 passes into a fork piece which connects this pulley, on the one hand, to a weight 21 and, on theother hand, to ,a bar 22 vertically movable and guided inits vertical movements by rollers 23. The bar 22 has a square cross section; one of its faces has ratchet teeth, whilst another face is cut so as to form a rack. This rack 25 gears with a pinion 26 driving, through an amplifying gearing 2728, a device provided with centrifugal balls 29 connected by flexible blades 30 to a fixed sleeve 31 and to a movable sleeve 32.

A lever 33 is compelled to move with the sleeve 32 by pivoting about an axis 34 integral with a locking bar 35 in which fits a finger 36 carried by the pulley 11.

This pulley, which is connected to the mgnals by the wire transmissions 10, is' constantly urged to rotate by the weights 12 and 13 and by a weight (not shown in the drawing) driving a clockwork actuating a sonorous signal 38.

The pulley 11 is provided with a tappet 39 rendered integral with the pulley by a. spiral spring, one end oi. which is attached to this tappet and the other is secur d within the pulley 11. the relaxation of this springbeing controlled by a hydropnclimatic bra. 37. The said tappet is engaged by a finger 4O :arried by a crank 41 actuated by a link 42 connected to a pedal placed at the level of the road to be protected.

This crank 41 is keyed on a shaft which is rigidly secured a crank a d an apparatus 46 substantially const tuted by a spiral spring 46, the recoil of .eh is deadened by a liquid brake 46 The sp which is of the usual coil formation is connected with the shaft 44 and with a stationary part whereby it may store energy and, when tensioned, exert a rotative effect on the shaft 44.

On the crank 45 are pivoted small links 47 guided by rollers moving in slides 49. These links 4'? actuate pawl 50 capable of engaging in the usual way, when moving up ward, with the ratchet teeth of the bar 22. and released from said teeth. at the end of the stroke, by an abutment 51.

The operation takes place as follows:

hen the track is unoccupied by a train, the pedal 16 remains in the elevated position shown in full lines in 4. A pawl or latch 15 carried the bolt 15 "fa ls in a notch or recess of a disc 16 (position if i the construc n 01"? Fig. 6) and is self to the action or the transmission 14. moving along; the track in. th the arrow l passes over the per the latter to the position indica l e I W 4 raising); the pawl or pulled longitudinally by the weight 21 at the same time 1! isingr the counterweight 21. The oisc 16 rotates in the direction of the arrow F (Fin: 5) until the pawl or latca 15 enin H (Fig. 6}, thereby limitin5,- the descending movement of the weight and the ascent of the weight 21. In t position, the pawl or latch 15 is elevated and the pedal 1.6 remains in depressed position out of the path of the wheels of the train passing thereover. As the bar 22 2 and 3) has moved with the weight 21 to which it is connected. it causes the device provided with centrifugal balls 29 to rotate through me medium of the amplifying gearing); 2?, 28. The halls 29 move away from each other and the flexible blades 80 actuate the movable sleeve 32; the lever 33 pivots about its axis 3-4, causes the locking bar 35 to rotate, and releases the pulley 11.

The wires 10, actuated by the weights 12 and 13, cause the rotation of the released pulley 11 and of the arms 1, 2 which take the horizontal position shown in Fig. 1.

At the same time, the weight of the bell actuates the sonorous gnal 38.

The train then passing the level crossing, acts on the pedal 43. The latter transmits its movement to the axis 44, through the link 42 and the crank 41. The axis 44 by its rotation. causes the tension of the spiral spring 46, the relaxation of the said spring being deadened by a hydraulic brake. It results therefrom that, owing to this slow relaxation, the pedal 43 remains for a long time in a depressed position and thus avoids the shocks of the following wheels. The crank 41, in its rotation, drives the pulley 11 through the finger which comes in engagement with the tappet 39 carried by this pulley; this latter thus comes back to its first position and locks it seli in the bar 35. The pulley pulls the wires 10 w rich, during its displacement, brings back the arms 1, 2 and weights 12, 13 in their initial positions.

The spiral spring; of the apparatus 46 acting slowly, raises the weight 21, by causing the rotation of the spindle 44 on which is secured the crank 45 provided with small links 47.

The ratchet engages, at the end of its stroke, with the abutment 51 which disenit from the bar 22.

During this time, the weight 21 pulls the wire transmission, 14, no longer subjected to the action of the weight 21 which is lifted by the bar 22, and brings it back to its first position; when the bar 22 is disengaged from the ratchet 50, the weight 21 is held in suspension by the wire transmission 14 which is held by the bolt 15. The train continuing to advance, passes on the pedal 1'? and raises the corresponding pawl 15; however, at this moment the weight 21 is being elevated by the .prine- 46 acting: on the shaft 44 and only the weight 21 acts on the transmission 14. The disc 17, corresponding to the disc 16 of Fig. 5, rotates in the direction of the arrow F2 until the pawl or latch engages in III, Fig. 6. This pawl or latch remains raised and the pedal 17 lowered out of the path of the passinn: train wheels. At the moment when the abutment 51 acting on the pawl 50 releases the weight 21, the latter exerts a pull on the transmission 14 and raises the weight 21 until. the pawl 15 again falls into its notch or recess in the locking position I.

All the parts of the apparatus have thus come back to their initial position and the said apparatus is ready to operate again in the same conditions.

It is to be noted that the movable member controlled by the locking); bar 35 can be connected to any other signaling system of which it would ensure the operation, either by closing an electric contact, or by acting on the valve of a compressed air cylinder, or on the control member of any accumulator of energy.

lVhen the signaling installation is to be provided for double tracks, the arrangement is modified as follows The pedal 16 is placed on one of the tracks, the pedal 17 on the other track, and two pedals 48 are placed at the level of the road, one on each track.

The apparatus illustrated in Figs. 2 and 8 is modified accordingly.

Each of the two wire transmissions 1 1d, one for the up track and the other for the down track, passes over a pulley 18, supports a weight 21 hung from a pulley, the fork piece of which is rigid with a bar having the same functions as the bar 22 of the apparatus of Figs. 2 and 3, and indirectly releases, in its displacement, the pulley 11 corresponding to the transmission under consideration.

Consequently, the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, comprises, when it is modified for use with a double track: two pulleys 18, two weights 21, two bars 22 with their respective tripping device, two pulleys 11 and 11, two apparatus 46; on the other hand, it is no longer provided with a pulley 20, at the location of which the transmissions 14, 14 are stopped.

The transmission 10 (double track) is diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. l. A wire 52 extends from the pulley 11, passes over a pulley block 53 and is attached to the pulley To the pulley block 53, the axis of which moves in slides, is attached, by a fork piece, the transmission 10 leading to the signals.

The grooved pulley p and the arm 1 are mounted on the shaft 3 and both are urged to rotate in the direction of the arrow 7, the pulley 79 by the weight 12 and the arm 11 by a counterweight 55, the path of which latter is limited by a stop 54. A stud e fixed to the pulley p is in contact with a stud E fixed on the arm 1. In the position of rest or when the track is unoccupied the wire 10 is stretched by the pulleys 11 and 11 through the medium ofthe block 53; the studs 6 and E occupy the positions a and E, the arm 1 being disposed vertically.

The operation is elfecte-d in the following manner:

When a train passes over the pedal 16, the pulley slackens the transmission 52, the weight 12 actuates the block 53 through the wire 10 and causes the pulley p to rotate. The studs 6 and E occupy the positions 6 and E the arm 1 being moved to the horizontal position. When the train passes over the pedal 48, the pulley 11 exerts a pull on the transmission 52 and through the medium of the block 53 a pull is also exerted on the action on the transmission 10 by t transmission 10 thereby restoring the arm 1 to the vertical position.

It may, however, happen during the passing of a train over the pedal 16 and ii) that a train moving on the down track passes over the pedal 17. There will then be identical actions of the pedal 11 and the block 53 and the weight 12 will cause the pulley p to rotate in the direction of the arrow f until the stud c occupies the position 0 The stud E remains at E and the abutment 54 limits the rotation of the arm 1. In order to restore it to the initial position, it is necessary to bring the stud e from 6 to e by the combined he successive rotations of the pulleys 11 and 11 when the trains pass over the two pedals 4:3. It will be seen that, by means of this apparatus, any indication of free passage is prevented as'long as a train is in the section comprised between the pedal 16 or the pedal 17 and the level crossin Moreover, this apparatus gives all security in case one of the wire transmissions should break. In fact, it will be seen in Fig. 2 that 'f the transmission breaks, the weight 21 is 7 no longer sustained and falls drawing the bar 22 with it, thus causing the operation producing the closing of the signals.

If it is the transmission 10 which breaks, the weights 12, 13, which are no longer sustained, cause the signals to operate.

The apparatus for multiple tracks is similar to the preceding ones and simply necessitates the multiplication of the controls on the one hand, and of the pulley blocks, on the other hand.

Claims:

1. A signaling installation adapted to warn, in the vicinity of a level crossing, the users of the road of the approaching passage at the said level crossing of a train running on the railway line, this installation comprising: signals placed on either side of the road at the entrance of the level crossing and adapted to occupy the nonvisible vertical position when the line is clear and to take the visible horizontal position when a train running on the said line arrives at a predetermined distance from the level crossing, a first wire transmission connecting the signals, attached at one of its ends to a pulley and supporting two counterweights, two pedals arranged on the railway line on either side of the level crossing and adapted to be depressed by the passage of a train, a second wire transmission connecting these two pedals, guide pulleys for this transmission, counterweights stretching the said transmission, two locking bolts connected to the said pedals, locking the second transmission near its ends and adapted to be opened successively by the passage of a train on the said pedals and to release the second Wire transmission, a centrifugal tripping dev ce, m ans actuated by the d1splacement of one of the coimterweights of the second wire transmission for actuatin O the trio )inc' device when this second trans mission 1s released by one OI the extreme pedals, anc releasing the pull y on which 15 'on for allowattach-d the first wire transmi ing the counterweights of this eransmissr: 1 L0 raise the signals into the horizontal llOSlUull, a third pedal arranged on the railway line between. the two first ones, in proXimity to the level crossing and l adapted to be trippn the train after one of the two other pe means controlled by this pedal for impartinat this moment, to the pulley of the transmission a movement of rotation in reverse direction to the preceding one and for bringing back the signals into the vertical position indicating that the line is clear.

2. A signaling installation adapted t warn, in the vicinity of a level crossing, th users of the road of the approaching pa go at the said level crossing of a train rum on the railway line, this installation compr ing: signals placed on either side of the road at the entrance of the level crossing and adapted to occupy the nonvisible vertical position when the line is clear and to take the visible horizontal position when a train running on the said line arrives at a predc termined dista ee from the level crossing, a first wire transmission connecting the signals, attached at one of its ends to a pulley supporting two counterweights, two pedal arranged on the railway line on eit ier side 0 the level crossing and adapted to be dc n'essed by the passage of a train, a second wire transmission connecting these two pedals, guide pulleys for this transmission, counterweights stretching the said transmission, two locking bolts connected to the said pedals, loclring the second transmission near its ends and adapt ed to be opened successively by the passage of a train on the said pedals and to release the second wire transmission, a vertical rod moving at the same time as one of the connterweights of the second wire transmission, a fork piece carrying one of the guide pulleys of the said transmission, rack teeth and saw teeth formed at two points o1 the length of the said rod, a centrifugal tripping device, a. gear transmission connecting this tripping device to the rack formed on the said rod, a lever controlled by the displacements of the tripping device, a. locking member in engagement with the finger of a plate connected by a spiral spring to the pulley to which is attached the first wire transmission controlling the signals and adapted to be released by the said lever for releasi this pulley and allowing the signals to take the horizontal posita third pedal arranged on the railway ll between the two first ones, in proximity to the level crossing and adapten to tripped by the train after one of the two other pedals, means controlled by this pedal for imparting, at this moment, to the pulley of the first transmission a movement of rotation in reverse direction to the preceding one and for bringing back the signals into the vertical position indicating that the line clear.

3. A signaling installation adapted to warn, in the vicinity of a level crossing, the users of the road of the approachin passage the said level crossing of a train running on the railway line, this installation comprising: signals placed on either side of the road at the entrance of the level crossing and adapted to 4 occupy the nonvisible vertical position when the line is clear and to take the visible horizontal position when a train running on the said line arrives at a predetermined distance t'rom the level crossing, a first wire transmission connecting the signals. attached at one of its ends to a pulley and supporting two counterweights, two pedals arranged on the railway line on either side of the level crossing and adapted to be de pressed by the passage of a train, a second wire transmission connecting these two pedals, guide pulleys for this transm'ssion, counterweight-s stretching the said transmission, two locking bolts connected to the said pedals, locking the second transmission near its ends and adapted to be opened successively by the passage of a train on the said pedals and to release the second wire transmission, a vertica]. rod moving at the same time as one of the counter-weights of the second wire transmission, a fork piece carrying one of the guide pulleys of the said transmission, rack teeth and saw teeth formed at two points oi the length of the said rod, a centrifugal tripping device, a gear transmission connecting; this tripping device to the rack formed on the said rod, a lever controlled by the displacements of the tripping device, a locking member in engagement with the finger of a plate connected by a spiral spring to the pulley to which is attached the first wire transmission controlling the signals and adapted to be released by the said lever for releasing this pulley and allowing the signals to take the horizontal position, a third pedal arranged on the railway line between the two first ones, in proximity to the level crossing and adapted to be tripped by the train after one of the two other pedals, a link connected to this third pedal and. to an arm rigidly secured on the axis of the pulley controlling the signals, a tooth ri id with this pulley and a driving finger rigid with the said arm and adapted to bring back the pulley to signal opening position, a crank rigid with the axis of the said pulley, small links pivoted on this crank, a pawl rigid with the latter and in engagement with the saw teeth of the vertical rod moving at the same time as one of the connterweights of the second wire transmission, this pawl being adapted to control the raising of the rod and of the counterweight and to bring back this counterweight in the position corresponding to the opening of the signals.

4. A signaling installation adapted to warn, in the vicinity of a level crossing, the users of the road of the approaching passage at the said level crossing of a train running on the railway line, this installation comprising signals placed on either side of the road at the entrance of the level crossing and adapted to occupy the nonvisible vertical position when the line is clear and to take the visible horizontal position when a train running on the said line arrives at a predetermined distance from the level crossing, a

first wire transmission connecting the signals, attached at one of its ends to a pulley and supporting two counterweights, two pedals arranged on the railway line on either side of the level crossing and adapted to be depressed by the passage of a train, a second wire trans mission connecting these two pedals, guide pulleys for this transmission, counterweights stretching the said transmission, two locking bolts connected to the said pedals, locking the second transmission near its ends and adapted to be opened successively by the pasot a train on the said pedals and to release the second wire transmission, a vertical rod moving at the same time as one of the counterweights of the second wire transmission, a fork piece carrying one of the guide pulleys of the said transmission, rack teeth and saw teeth formed at two points of the length of the said rod, a centrifugal tripping device, a gear transmission connecting this tripping device to the rack formed on the said rod, a lever controlled by the displacements of the tripping device, a locking Inemoer in engagement with the finger of a plate connected by a spiral spring to the pulley to v which is attached the first wire transmission controlling the signals and adapted to be released by the said lever for releasing this pulley and allowing the signals to take the horizontal position, a third pedal arranged on the railway line between the two first ones, in proximity to the level crossing and adapted to be tripped by the train after one of the two other pedals, a link connected to this third pedal and to an arm rigidly secured on the axis of the pulley controlling the signals, a tooth rigid with this pulley and a driving finger rigid with the said arm and adapted to bring back the pulley to signal opening position, a crank rigid with the axis of the said pulley, a small links pivoted on this crank, a pawl rigid with the latter and in engagement with the saw teeth of the vertical rod moving at the same time as one of the counterweights of the second wire transmission, this pawl being adapted to control the raising of the rod and of the counterweight and to bring back this counterweight in the position corresponding to the opening of March, 1929.

PIERRE BOUTHORS. 

